Lord of the Movies: The Return of the Review Thread

[Reply #240 on:]

Shrek 2

I really love this movie and I think it is better then the first. Shrek and Fiona turned out to be my favourite couple and Donkey and Puss In Boots make a adorable team. Puss In Boots is sooo cute and Antonio Banderas puts on a very sexy Spanish voice.

I love the new characters: Ugly sister, The King and Fairy Godmother. Mongo is the best though. He kicks ass!

Show spoiler

I say Pharr on the human Sherk. He is really good looking.

 

[Reply #241 on:]

La Meglio Gioventú (The Best of Youth)

Excellent 6-hour miniseries. The performances are all excellent and I have to applaud the script because despite having many of the characters involved in important events of recent Italian history, none of the situatons felt forced. The direction is also very good with some very inspired scenes. The soundtrack is also pretty good. This one's recommended but it's also very long long, so it's better if you can get in on DVD or on TV

[Reply #242 on:]

maybe Mr. Potter. the fans i know though are older in their early twenties, the same age as most of the LOTR fans i know. maybe the people i meet arent that bright, i am from america.

[Reply #243 on:]

I don't know about Potter, since I haven't read the books, but in the case of LOTR, I think many people accept the cutting and editing, simply because staying true to every letter in the books would make the movies about three times as long.

[Reply #244 on:]

 

Originally posted by PhoenixLeo:
....because staying true to every letter in the books would make the movies about three times as long.

... And full of singing

[Reply #245 on:]

To me, it's not really what they cut, it's what they added. Cutting some great details and exposition to add huge amounts of time to the action and in some instances create whole new action sequences is what pisses me off. About a third of the final movie was the battle for Gondor, which was maybe about a chapter or so in the book.

[Reply #246 on:]

 

Originally posted by PhoenixLeo:
....because staying true to every letter in the books would make the movies about three times as long.

 

Originally posted by Grim:
 ... And full of singing

And every scene would first have an establishing shot that sweeps over the entire landscape, picking out every detail, and lasting about half an hour.

 

Originally posted by Blackadder11:
About a third of the final movie was the battle for Gondor, which was maybe about a chapter or so in the book.

As much fun as it would be to watch Sam and Frodo toil across a barren inhospitable landscape for 2 hours, I'd much rather see Legola kick the crap out of the Mumakil.

[Reply #247 on:]

Spider-man 2

Sweet, sweet comic book love! 

The movie was great. I enjoyed watching Peter cope with the tough decisions that are bound to arise when gifted with superpowers, almost as much as I loved the action bits -- which are great. Otto Octavious is a believable villain; much more so than the Green Goblin (though Gobby was more fun).

The train fight is truly epic (as is the one on the clock tower), and for once a superhero saves a bunch of imperiled citizens in a straightforward manner. Bruce Campell gets a chance to be an asshole in yet another cameo, and Sam Raimi lets his "Evil Dead" roots show in a scene that... well, lets just say it involves a chainsaw and classic horror-movie film technique.

Seriously though, the scene in the elevator alone is enough for me to rate this movie A+.

[Reply #248 on:]

Spiderman 2

Yeah it was pretty good, on par with the first one. Had a lot of dealing with the issues of being a superhero, which is good because apart from maybe batman to some extent, this sort of thing is rarely shown.

Great actions scenes, although the stopping the train was a bit too comic book-esk for me, I mean I've seen the legs pulled off of a spider with much less force than that.

I hope they dont go for a third spiderman movie, because the end is tied up rather nicely at this stage, a number 3 I would feel to be just milking the franchise a little too much

[Reply #249 on:]

Well get ready, because Spiderman 3 has been confirmed for months.

[Reply #250 on:]

 

Originally posted by Nixorbo:And every scene would first have an establishing shot that sweeps over the entire landscape, picking out every detail, and lasting about half an hour.

Plus the history of it for a thousand years back and for each of it's inhabitants.
As a book though, it makes the story that much richer.

 

Originally posted by Nixorbo:
  As much fun as it would be to watch Sam and Frodo toil across a barren inhospitable landscape for 2 hours, I'd much rather see Legola kick the crap out of the Mumakil.

Second.
As Frodo struggles to keep going, so do I struggle to keep reading. It is rewarding at the end, though.

[Reply #251 on:]

Fahrenheit 9/11

Some parts of this movie made me feel really sad. I think everyone should see it. A

[Reply #252 on:]

 

Originally posted by PhoenixLeo:
...staying true to every letter in the books would make the movies about three times as long.

 

Originally posted by Grim:
... And full of singing

You guys say that like it would be a bad thing.

 

Originally posted by Nix:
And every scene would first have an establishing shot that sweeps over the entire landscape, picking out every detail, and lasting about half an hour.

The movies did have quite a few establishing shots like that.  They didn't last half an hour, but a picture is worth a thousand words, right?

 

Originally posted by *author*:
As much fun as it would be to watch Sam and Frodo toil across a barren inhospitable landscape for 2 hours, I'd much rather see Legola kick the crap out of the Mumakil.

That still counts as one.

[Reply #253 on:]

Spiderman 2
Well, other people have reviewed this.. But here are a few of my views on the film.
Otto Octavius is much more sympathetic than the Green Goblin was.. Otto, practically posessed by his mechanical arms, is a perfect metaphor for how greed can change a person. The sinister, serpentine appendages make him do things that he ordinarily wouldn't, make him go forward with his violent plans to further 'clean, renewable energy'.. Even if it destoys half a city.. Just so that he can become rich.

Show spoiler

When the 'little blue light' on his back is destroyed

.. he becomes a monster, unable to control his baser instincts and darker impulses as personified by the arms. The arms, by the way, are some of the best actors in the film.. Strange as that sounds.
One thing that made the movie hard to watch for me was how trod upon Peter is. I know it's true to the comic, and doesn't lessen the movie.. But it's almost painful after a while to see how utterly poorly he is treated by nearly everyone else in the film. Aside from some concerned citizens, for whatever reason, every character in the film berates him, ignores him or runs away from him. And it's the littlest things[note the hors d'oeuvres at the Gala in the Museum of Natural History] that make you cringe the most.
The things a character has to do to be sympathetic!
Another odd thing is that I found myself 'predicting' things... Like..

Show spoiler

Why doesn't Aunt May just wail on Otto with the umbrella? I wonder if Peter will steal back that uniform, right under JJ's nose? : sigh : Peter's gonna miss the play, this time..

Mind you, it doesn't take a genius.. And this doesn't make the movie 'predictable'. But it happened enough that it was noticeable.
One last thing.. This made me sad..

Show spoiler

Peter sees a mugging and does nothing. I know he's trying not to be a 'hero', but a lot of the things he passes on you don't have to be Spiderman to fix. It made him seem sort of cowardly.

Well, this turned rather long... Anyway..
Bruce Campbell and Hal Sparks have very funny cameos, too. Overall, an A.

[Reply #254 on:]

Question: did anyone shout out "Stan Lee!" during the Stan Lee cameo?

[Reply #255 on:]

 

Originally posted by Nixorbo:
Question: did anyone shout out "Stan Lee!" during the Stan Lee cameo?

No, but I did notice that this makes it two times now he's saved a little girl from falling debris.

[Reply #256 on:]

 

Originally posted by homerjaysimpson:
Fahrenheit 9/11

Some parts of this movie made me feel really sad. I think everyone should see it. A

Hell no. I'm fed up with all these politcal bashing 'films'. Yeah, sure - 'The Big One' was good .. until every redneck & home-boy started going anti-political & burn down a public school from watching these films.

Now back to Spiderman 3..

 

Dear God,
Please stop with the bad films.

Your bud, eggsandwich.

[Reply #257 on:]

 

Originally posted by eggsandwich:
 Hell no. I'm fed up with all these politcal bashing 'films'. Yeah, sure - 'The Big One' was good .. until every redneck & home-boy started going anti-political & burn down a public school from watching these films.

What the hell are you talking about,Cartman?

[Reply #258 on:]

I was talking about how a film like that can 'inspire' people to a way of thinking, by telling them lies/bending the truth. Thats all.

If you didnt get that .. are you awake?

edit: Now I'm not here to pass judgment, I'm not saying you're one of them. My main arguement was that; People should think for themselves, and dont be sucked in by someone else's view on this world. You make your own judgments regarding the current situation, just dont let someones else's view be a starting point for yours.

There, an explanation all within a post. Makes me feel all warm & fuzzy inside.

Ontopic: Has anyone heard of a confirmation of Sam Raimi doing a forth Evil Dead film after he does Spiderman 3?

[Reply #259 on:]

 

Originally posted by Nixorbo:
Question: did anyone shout out "Stan Lee!" during the Stan Lee cameo?

I did. But it was more like "Stan Lee?" Because it looked like him but it was so brief I couldn't quite tell.
And during the part with the usher, I completely annoyed my Mom.. Nudging her through nearly the whole scene, whispering "Bruce! Ma, that's Bruce! You rock, Bruce!"
What can I say.. I loves me the Bruce..
EDIT: No, eggs, I haven't.. But one can dream! I'm not sure about all that.. Even Army of Darkness was low-budget-looking enough to be charming. A good example is the forthcoming American Ju-On movie.. It'll have a high budget and great effects, sure, but every ounce of true horror will be gone. The laughing Moose head in Evil Dead 2 scared me more than the whole of Freddy Versus Jason, or similar high-budget horror..

[Reply #260 on:]

Fahrenheit 9/11

Finally got the chance to go see it and I f_cking loved it. Equally great if not better than "Bowling for Columbine" and it made a total ass out of the Bush Administration and the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

A+

[Reply #261 on:]

Shrek 2

Bah. Everyone said this film was great. I wasn't really a fan of the first Shrek and I would like this one less if it wasn't for the puss in boots which is one of the cutest things I have ever seen! I want to huggle it and not scream, that's how cute it is. 
I thought the storyline was a bit predictable, just the same as the last one really with a slight change here and there. I enjoyed the celebrity voices and the film references, but overall this film is waaaaaaay overhyped and a crappy repeat of the first.

B-

[Reply #262 on:]

Well, say what you like about the movie, but the storylines were WAY different..

[Reply #263 on:]

 

Originally posted by EvilLunch:
Well, say what you like about the movie, but the storylines were WAY different..

Shrek gets a problem
Shrek and donkey go on an adventure
Shrek and Fiona have a tiff
Problem gets resolved, bad guy thwarted

sounds pretty damn similar to me

[Reply #264 on:]

There was really not a sinister bad guy in the film. Farquaad was a selfish, arrogant jerk. Fairy Godmother, the closest thing to a villain in the movie, seemed more of a stressed workaholic who wanted to further her son's 'prince' career.
I've heard Shrek 2 described as a movie about the pitfalls of mixed or.. shall I say.. unconventional marriages, while the first one was more about overcoming outward appearance. Even if you DO think the stories were similar, the messages were different.
And anyway Mongo r00lz j00.

[Reply #265 on:]

   

Originally posted by Grim:
 Shrek gets a problem
Shrek and donkey go on an adventure
Shrek and Fiona have a tiff
Problem gets resolved, bad guy thwarted

sounds pretty damn similar to me

Uh...how about 76% of all movies ever

-Main character has a problem
-Character goes on an adventure with companions
-Main characters have to overcome their own "inner" or "personal" problems before facing the "real" problem
-Problem gets resolved, antagonist thwarted

It's a pretty big movie standard, doesn't mean they're the same thing.

Staying on topic, I was cajoled into seeing the new Harry Potter film recently.  Having never read the books, I didn’t quite enjoy the first two movies, but this one held my interest.  I generally enjoyed the plot (though I hear much had to be cut from the book).  In fact, much of it did seem a bit rushed, trying to cram the whole book into a short movie.  Acting was fair to good on all accounts, and the special effects were decent enough to not take away from anything.

B+

[Reply #266 on:]

 

Originally posted by JBERGES:
   Uh...how about 76% of all movies ever

-Main character has a problem
-Character goes on an adventure with companions
-Main characters have to overcome their own "inner" or "personal" problems before facing the "real" problem
-Problem gets resolved, antagonist thwarted

It's a pretty big movie standard, doesn't mean they're the same thing.

Shit, forget just movies, that's pretty much the over-arching structure for all of Western literature, going all the way back to the Odyssey.

[Reply #267 on:]

Spiderman 2
Saw it today, I loved it. I haven't seen the first one, or ever really read any Spiderman comics, but I really enjoyed it. It was just... great. And Kirsten (sp?) Dunst. Mmm. A

[Reply #268 on:]

 

Originally posted by eggsandwich:
I was talking about how a film like that can 'inspire' people to a way of thinking, by telling them lies/bending the truth. Thats all.

If you didnt get that .. are you awake?

It's a movie, you can make whatever you want out of it. Get a grip on yourself or something.

in other news:

Dr. Giggles

This has to be the sillyest and the worst B movie I have ever seen in my life. F

[Reply #269 on:]

Spiderman 2

Great movie. Much better than the first. This movie had it all. Character development, action, romance, humor. An entertaining movie on so many levels. I loved the train scene, because it really put the whole movie in perspective. "He's just a kid, no older than my son" really says it all. Spiderman was just a normal guy who feels too responsible to quit being a hero, but still worries that doing it may be over his head. In fact, the stress even causes him to lose control of his powers, representing his situation in a very literal way. Add a perfect climax and and a bit of emotion at the end and you've got one great movie.

A+

[Reply #270 on:]

Is Spider-Man 2 too similar to Spider Man? I know that obviously the style is the same, but does it has the same kind of action scenes, dialogue and acting? Is there any progression in these areas? I'm thinking about watching this movie this week, but I hated the first one so I'm not too sure.

[Reply #271 on:]

Well, I can't really remember the action scenes from the first one.. I suppose they're similar. The blending of CG and live action is nearly seamless in this one. Also, Dr. Otto Octavius is a FAR more sympathetic and interesting character than Mr. Osborn I. [I have a bit of a crush on the Octopus. ;-;]

[Reply #272 on:]

Doesn't Doc Ock start off as a mild-mannered physician and the radiation makes him insane? All these great reports on TV, newspapers and here on PEEL are telling me I have to go see Spiderman 2.   
EDIT: Correcting spelling error

[Reply #273 on:]

 

Originally posted by EvilLunch:
Well, I can't really remember the action scenes from the first one

You know, all those endless scenes with Spidey traveling from building to building in a sunny afternoon.

[Reply #274 on:]

Zatoichi

the new Takeshi Kitano movie - finally got to see it and it's awesome! Set in medival Japan, a blind man (Zatoichi-played by Beat Takeshi) comes into a town that is in the midst of a gang war. Nice swordfights, the typical Kitano humor and a great tapdancing finale. A++

[Reply #275 on:]

Fahrenheit 9/11

I haven't read many reviews for this movie, so I'm sure I'm saying nothing new. But I saw it, and I thought a lot of the Bush bashing in the first half of the movie was totally unfair.

But then I agreed with a lot of the manipulative anti-war drivel in the second half of the movie.

Overall, I'll say it was ok. It had some of my favorite TV soundbytes over the past few years(the "fool me once" clip, the gay-as-hell "it's a girl!" Haliburton commercial, "now how 'bout some ribs?" ), but a lot of it was pretty ridiculous.

[Reply #276 on:]

Mr. Potter: Nope, Spiderman 2 is much different than the first. It has quite a bit more depth to it, which makes it more like the original story (from the comics). The first movie was IMO pretty good, but it seemed lacking somehow. I think that this one is a lot better.

[Reply #277 on:]

 

Originally posted by M0le:
Doesn't Doc Ock start off as a mild-manndered physician and the radiation makes him insane?

He's so mild-mannered and nice and sweet, I can't stand it. It's not.. EXACTLY radiation that does it.. But I suppose that effects what happens to the arms that makes him who he is.
[Wasn't Zatoichi done by the same guy that did The Katakuris? Cause that was screwed up. I need to go see this blind samourai..]

[Reply #278 on:]

 

Originally posted by Nixorbo:
  As much fun as it would be to watch Sam and Frodo toil across a barren inhospitable landscape for 2 hours, I'd much rather see Legola kick the crap out of the Mumakil.

is that his female counterpart?

I think I'd like LOTR as a muscial. As long as they did jazz hands.

[Reply #279 on:]

Shrek 2

Enjoyed it.  Thought Puss In Boots was too extranious (I mean, he was a bad guy for about 3 tenths of a second), Jennifer Saunders sang too much, but apart from that, excellent.